6/26/2007

6/20/2007

Self Portrait Challenge ~ Environment

I have written about the struggles of finding time to work on my art being a parent of an active 2 year old.

It seems a lot of the artists I know with small children get most of their work done at night-where I am so pooped out in the evening-and my creative energies are super low. I stumbled upon a blog- www.Stevepavlina.com - from Crafty girl. I follwed the link and found a bunch of guides-one being how to wake up at 5am-or at least that was the gist of the guide. (I also read the how to quit coffee-which hasn't been going so well. My sister in law sent me some amazingly delish tea that I try to substitute my second cup of coffee for.)

I have followed this for about 5 days now. I get up at 5 put the coffee on- do 2-4 rounds of sun salutations-have coffee-go out and take pictures in the early morning light. It has been wonderful. I am getting some private time to be creative which allows me to be more present for my son when he gets up.

So this is me this morning enjoying coffee-and playing with my duaflex and macro lens.

I am not so sure as to why my only recent self portraits have been of my feet.

6/09/2007

I came across this additional information about the giraffe

The giraffe is a graceful animal in spite of its ungainly appearance. Some legends claim that the "sleep time" of the giraffe is connected to ancient Eastern cultures. The giraffes incredible flexibility allows it to take on positions similar to yoga therapies in which the body is twisted and contorted while in a meditative state. This coupled with its kneeled sleep position made many believe that it was actually praying instead of sleeping. When it awoke and stood up its great height would invoke feelings from fear to respect. The giraffes strength and flexibility shows us how to gain control of our physical bodies while expanding our mental and spiritual faculties. Many cultures honored the giraffe including the Egyptians whose art featured giraffe designs.

Giraffes are highly attuned to danger thanks to their height, keen sense of smell and eyesight. With their heads towering high in the sky and their feet firmly planted on the ground they serve as links between the higher and lower worlds. Its flexible neck allows it see what's behind it, alongside it and in front of it. This gives the giraffe the ability to know the future and understand the past while walking in the present moment. It holds the teachings of clear sight and can be a powerful ally for those with this totem. The giraffe teaches us how to increase our perceptions by viewing life from all angles. When we look up, forwards, sideways and down the past, present and future is known. A wonderful totem to have - the giraffe is a bearer of many gifts.

All this information motivated me to get my drawing into a charm asap. It feels good to have their energy with me when I wear it:)